The SBI crime lab remains leaderless.
Gerald Arnold, former chief judge of the N.C. Court of Appeals, said today that other commitments have caused him to decline the job as interim director of the troubled crime lab.
“The time frame for me was not right, I wish it had been,” Arnold said. “It just didn’t work out.”
On September 8, Attorney General Roy Cooper announced that Arnold would act as interim lab director while a national search for a permanent director was underway. Cooper said Arnold would make sure that the lab would provide test results that are accurate and properly reported.
“It is critical that Judge Arnold take a good thorough look,” Cooper said that day. “If problems are found, they will be fixed.”
The crime lab has come under widespread criticism and scrutiny that threatens pending cases as well as concluded cases. A recent audit found that SBI lab analysts withheld or misreported the results of blood tests in at least 229 cases.
That audit, by two retired FBI supervisors, focused on evidence withheld from prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Arnold said he did not have a difference of opinion with SBI leadership about how to do the job.
“It wasn’t’ that they said I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t do that,” he said. “I think I would have done whatever I wanted to do."
(updated below)
Cooper is "frustrated with this unfortunate development," according to an email from Noelle Talley, Cooper's spokeswoman. Cooper believes he's found an excellent replacement for Arnold to conduct an independent legal review, the email said, but did not specify whom the replacement would be.
Joe Neff came to The N&O in 1992 and has covered prisons, police, courts and the legislature. His most recent major work was "Agents' Secrets," a four-part series about problems in the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation. He can be reached at
Comments
I do not get this????
Thu, 09/30/2010 - 01:52 — BigMonsterSo who determines what get's examined, tested, etc???
Is the the SBI that messed up??? Sounds like the gov should take the fall.... And resign. She is the chief police officer as gov!!!!
Every case with faulty SBI crime lab work has to be re-tried.
And what about our wake DA and NC AG. They both need to be tried and sent to jail...
Makes Nifong look like an angel??? BTW, how is he doing??? Probably back working for the NC gov in some type of role??
Nifong should be in jail also......
Good Luck on this one
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 19:48 — NCGoingDownNot sure what happened but Gerald Arnold not the person to restore integrity to this lab/issue. He surely must fear his skeletons - he went to AOC as Director for a short ride and he was working another job at the same time - two full time jobs. And he was working us over in the Treasurer's Office for "extra" pay as an emergency judge at the same time. Triple dipping!
Lab Supervisor
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 19:12 — JohnlawretHaving an attorney supervise a Lab makes about as much sense as hiring a Scientist review Court Cases or interpret the Law. Cooper needs to quit hiring cronies and find someone qualified to clean up his mess without worrying about protecting Cooper. This is the only way to restore faith in the results coming out of the Lab. Unqualified personnel are what caused the problems to start with. There are several qualified Scientists with excellent credentials who might be willing to serve until a permanent Supervisor can be hired.
Whoops! We did it AGAIN!
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 18:21 — JoeBloggsArnold is either really scared of what's in his closet, OR he is savvy enough not to board a sinking ship. I think the latter, he was announced as the replacement on the 8th of this month, why didn't he understand his time commitments before his appointment?
Just like Revenue Secretary Ken Lay "resigning", NOTHING is ever as it seems with State Government anymore.
I think many NC politicians must be dyslexic and are reading the state motto as "To seem, rather than to be"
SBI AND GOVERNOR LEADERSHIP
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 17:25 — samiam123In my earlier comment associated with the leadershp problems with the Governor and the Department of Revenue, and throw in the Employment Security Commission debacle....I said that it would be a couple of weeks to read about the next, now we have the SBI leadership problem in a matter of hours.....Governor Perdue, how much more can we take? I can help as a former public servant who knows who the Public Managers are supposed to help....the people are our responsibility....take the lead...I think it is too late....which agency will be next to fall? I am not sure but I can guess....please, the party is over, get serious with your jobs!!!!!!!!!!!
A new independent lab is needed.
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 13:33 — dp123As forensic experts said, a new independent lab is needed.
Since Roy won't listen, it's time to call the General Assembly and make our voices heard.
A new independent lab is needed.
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 15:14 — WayneUberIsn't this really a leadership (or lack of it) problem? It's easy to point fingers and lay blame on Cooper... or move work to another place but these are only a half measures. The problems need to be fixed... and if leadership isn't up to the task (of saying when and where things will be changed for the better) they should be replaced. Before going to another lab one has to ask "what other states do?". If we have workload or performance issues that need to be addressed by leadership then they should be required to submit action plans and a timeline for completing some meaningful goals.
Roy, Bev, here's your opportunity to chime in (say and do something)! Your constituents are watching/waiting.